This chapter is a big deal. Just like the Duel Robot in book one was originally supposed to be the closest to fighting Yugi that my main character would ever come, Monty was supposed to be almost an expy of Yugi so that I would never be tempted to team Yugi up with my heroes. So, in a way, this duel is actually Yugi against Blackheart, but I would imagine that if Yugi didn't win, he'd at least be able to come this close to winning even fighting without an ally. He is Yugi after all.
As for why Blackheart left some of Monty's power in tact, well, we'll see that later.
Chapter ElevenBlackheart vs. The Duel Force Round Two;
The Death of a “God”
“I’ll start things off with the special ability of my ‘Bowganian’,” said Blackheart. ‘Bowganian’ fired a crossbow bolt at each of us (2200-600=1600 (each)). “Next I’ll discard a card from my hand to activate ‘Tribute to the Doomed’, destroying the Warrior monster ‘Buster Blader’.” His card’s hologram appeared. Mummy wraps burst from within the card and reached toward my monster.
“My ‘Buster Blader’ may not have any magic of his own,” I countered, “but I have plenty for both of us. Reveal the Trap cards ‘Pitch-Black Power Stone’ and ‘Spell Shield’. I remove a Spell Counter from my ‘Power Stone’ to protect my monster from destruction.”
A magic circle appeared on my ‘Blader’’s arm, like a shield, and a black stone appeared, hanging in the air. A third of the stone broke off, transmuting into a magical light. The light poured into the magic circle, and my monster raised his magical shield, dispersing the mummy wraps and rendering Blackheart’s Spell powerless.
“Pretty good,” Blackheart said. “Of course, I said that I would beat one of you this turn, and I will.” Blackheart laughed again. “I continue my turn with the Spell card ‘Card of Sanctity’, allowing each player to draw until they hold six cards. Now this is a whole new duel.
“I equip ‘Sword of Deep-Seated’ to my remaining ‘Bowganian’,” Blackheart declared, “and change him to Attack mode (ATK: 1800). ‘Bowganian’, attack, destroy the ‘Aqua Spirit’!”
Crap, I thought. I looked over at Sarah, expecting to see fear or anger on her face. But instead I saw confidence. She had a plan.
“I have you now, Blackheart,” Sarah said, crossing her arms and smiling wide. “Reveal, ‘Ultimate Offering’! I pay five hundred Life Points and sacrifice two monsters (1600-500=1100) to summon my ultimate monster, the face of my Duelist’s Soul, the mighty ‘Levia-Dragon – Daedalus’.”
Her two monsters disappeared in a swirl of light, and in their place appeared a large sea dragon with silver and blue armor-like scales and broad pink fins. The dragon roared, and ‘Bowganian’ stopped dead, staring up at the dragon with its emotionless robotic eye (ATK: 2600).
“I thought as much,” said Blackheart. “Activate ‘Quick Summon’, letting me sacrifice ‘Bowganian’ to summon ‘Caius the Shadow Monarch’, using his ability to remove your dragon from play.”
Sarah smiled wider, “Then I reveal another Trap card, ‘Aqua Aura’, paying five hundred Life Points (1100-500=600) and removing ‘Aqua Spirit’ in my Graveyard from play to fill the field with water and activate my dragon’s effect.”
Water appeared beneath us, bubbling up beneath the dragon. The water was pulled toward the ‘Levia-Dragon’. “This,” said Sarah, “will destroy every card on the field except for my monster.”
“And of course,” I said, “I can remove another Spell Counter to prevent my ‘Buster Blader’’s destruction as well.” Another chunk of the black stone broke away and became energy that fed the ‘Blader’’s shield.
“Sorry,” said Blackheart, “but that won’t work. Activate ‘Nullification Warp’, canceling your monster’s effect.”
A ripple went through Sarah’s dragon, and the water that had gathered around him fell away and disappeared. “Now,” said Blackheart, “my ‘Monarch’’s effect resolves.” ‘Caius’, a giant armored man with evil eyes, wearing a tattered cape, summoned darkness into a ball in his hands (ATK: 2400). It looked a lot like John’s ‘Dark Core’ Spell. He threw the energy ball at Sarah’s monster and it was swallowed up, leaving Sarah’s field empty, and leaving her with as many options as she had monsters.
“Now,” said Blackheart, “I finish you. ‘Caius’, attack with Dark Energy Force!” The ‘Monarch’ thrust his palm, and Sarah was wreathed in darkness that drained the rest of her Life Points away (600-2400=0). She gasped and her eyes went wide. She fell onto her back, unmoving.
I looked into Blackheart’s eyes, “That’s enough. What gives you the right to treat people this way? What gives you the right!?”
“I am Blackheart,” he said, “Master of the Dark Soul and Wielder of the God ‘Osiris’, and soon all of the Gods. That gives me the right.”
“Heh,” I laughed. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but the only reason you have any power at all is because you stole it from John. He is the true master of the Soul. He is the true wielder of ‘Osiris’, who chose John after his duel with Marik. You would be nothing without your stolen power. Next to John, you are nothing!”
For the first time, Blackheart stopped smiling. “I control the God, not my host. Take your turn and I’ll prove it.”
“Alright, three cards face-down, and I command ‘Buster Blader’ to destroy the Dark Monarch.” ‘Buster Blader’ raised his sword and lunged, slicing the armored fiend in half (5650+2400-2600=5450).
“Alright,” Blackheart said, “finally it’s time I finished this.” He drew a card, giving him three. “Activate, ‘Pot of Greed’, letting me draw two cards from my deck. Then I activate ‘Soul Release’, removing three ‘Bowganians’ and the God from play. Next I discard ‘Armageddon Knight’ and ‘The End Spirits’ to activate ‘Magical Stone Excavation’, returning ‘Card of Sanctity’ in my Graveyard to my hand.” He took a card from his Graveyard.
“Now,” Blackheart continued, “I activate ‘Card of Sanctity’.” His Soul flashed, and as he drew his six new cards he called, “Destiny Draw!”
He selected a card from his new hand. “Activate,” he said, “the Spell card ‘Dimension Fusion’ (5450-2000=3450).” A rift opened in the sky, and the three ‘Bowganians’ (DEF: 600 (each)) and the massive red dragon emerged. The God roared (ATK: 5000).
“‘Osiris’, attack for the kill, Thunder Force!”
‘Osiris’ opened his lower mouth and breathed lightning down on my monster from above, vaporizing him instantly. The attack engulfed me as well. “Now who’s got the power?!” Blackheart cried, laughing hysterically.
“Don’t count me out yet, Blackheart,” I said. The attack ended, and I smiled at Blackheart. I was hurt, there was no denying that. I was clutching my arm, which was burned badly, my lip was burned, and I felt like I’d been punched in several spots all across my body, but I was still standing.
“How?” he demanded. “That’s not possible! No mortal can survive the God’s attack!”
“Wrong,” I said. “I activated my face-down Spell, ‘Emergency Provisions’ sending ‘Pitch-Black Power Stone’ and the face-down ‘Diffusion Wave-Motion’ to the Graveyard to increase my Life Points by two thousand (1600+2000+2600-5000=1200). That plus a little conviction was more than enough to keep going."
“At least your champion, the Dragon Slayer, is no more,” Blackheart noted offhandedly, as if keeping score.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Sorry, but you’re wrong again. I discard my entire hand to activate ‘Rope of Life’, returning my ‘Blader’ to the field.”
“Too bad you didn’t know,” Blackheart said as the warrior returned (2600+800=3400), “that when a monster appears before ‘Osiris’ he attacks with his second mouth. ‘Osiris’, Summon Lightning Shot!”
I smiled and laughed yet again. “How many times are you going to be wrong today? Reveal, ‘Magic Cylinder’, reflecting an attack back on its source.”
‘Osiris’ fired a ball of light from his upper mouth. A cylinder appeared, catching the attack, and disappeared. Then another cylinder appeared, launching the attack back at the God that had produced it (5000-2000=3000).
“I also know enough about the God,” I said, “to know that he dies at the end of the turn if he was Special Summoned.”
“Ah,” said Blackheart. “You underestimate me. Activate ‘Life Light’, a Spell that prevents a monster from being destroyed by a monster effect, even its own.”
‘Osiris’’ Attack fell (3000-1000=2000).
This is it, I thought, letting my smile fade. I can’t win, but the least I can do is try and free ‘Osiris’ from his false master.
I looked up at ‘Osiris’ and then looked back down at Blackheart. I smiled confidently, “I came into this duel already knowing all of your monster’s powers. I hoped to use that knowledge to defeat you, but it seems like the best I can do is hope that my attack severs your connection to the God the way that John’s attack against ‘Osiris’ in his duel with Marik severed Marik’s connection with the card.” I looked again at ‘Osiris’. “Noble creature, I’m sorry. ‘Buster Blader’, Buster Slash!”
The dragon slayer swung his sword, and the God was reduced to shreds of red light (3450+2000-3400=2050).
“God is dead Blackheart,” I said, “and his bond with you is broken. Now my friends might just have a chance.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Blackheart replied. He laughed hysterically. “I have enough power now,” he explained, “to force the God under my control. I don’t need anything as trivial as bonds.”
I sighed, defeated. Well that’s it then.
“I draw,” Blackheart said, “and the effects of my ‘Bowganians’ activate.” The three machines fired, and everything went dark (1200-1800=0).
Blackheart
I stepped up between my two most recent victims and reached out with the stolen Soul of Darkness. The Soul of Water cracked, followed by the Soul of Knowledge, and I felt their powers begin to flow into my Soul. Into my being. Normally I would have taken all of the energy from both Souls, but looking into my host’s memories I saw an opportunity to have a little fun. I took all of the power from the Soul of Water, but I left a good deal of the Spell-user’s Soul intact. Then I reached into his mind, and I left a little something behind: an idea that would blossom into something truly entertaining.
Card of the Day:
Buster Blader
Played by: Monty
This card was chosen for Card of the Day because it shows that Monty has more in his deck than magic and trickery, and that he learned more from Yugi than just how best to use Spellcasters, though to be fair, he probably only has this in his deck so that he can summon a particular monster.
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